Piece Me Back Together
by conspirazee
Summary: It seems like Liam and Annie are enjoying graduation with their friends on a good note. But would the sea breeze bring along new insights that would change their minds about the future?
1. Chapter 1

**I've not written a fanfiction in a long while, but I really felt like doing it. Takes place post S3, with Liam heading to college with Annie. Tell me what you'd like to see in the next chapter! (:**

They could almost smell freedom in the air. No more annoying teachers, no more disgusting schoolmates, and definitely no more homework - at least for a long while. It was just the usual clan, Adriana excluded undoubtedly, and the very much unknown futures ahead of them. The West Bev graduation ceremony was held yesterday, and their newfound liberation was certainly a reason to celebrate. Unlike the typical extravagant parties though, the group of friends chose to book a yacht to spend the next 3 days on the seas instead for a more intimate gathering. With Naomi's love for all things luxurious, Annie's new fortune and nearly everyone else's trust funds, it was effortless to plan the vacation. Unfortunately, Raj and Ivy could not join them for they were on their honeymoon but everyone else was present to join in the fun, even Max Miller.

Naturally, Liam Court was excited about yachting. Boats, friends and good times - it was the perfect equation for the guy. Oh and his girlfriend, of course, who could forget Annie. This was his idea of a fantastic break and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

While the others were in the lounge having their own fun avoiding the sun - even though it had barely been two hours since they left the dock - Liam was out on the deck, trying to soak in everything that going on. He could not believe time had flown by so fast. It did not feel too long ago when he was forced to be enrolled in West Beverly but now he could call himself a graduate. His thoughts were interrupted though, when two petite arms were wrapped gently around his waist. Annie had approached him quietly from behind, and she subsequently rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You love this, don't you?" she whispered in his ear, careful not to ruin his moment.

"You being all koala bear on me? No, I'd love a lot more," he replied, a wide grin on his face.

Annie immediately pushed him away upon being called a koala bear. Her face held an upset expression as she said in mock annoyance, "I was talking about graduation, this whole vacation with everyone. But fine, if you don't like it, I'll go back inside and be a koala bear to Navid, or something."

Liam let out a hearty laugh as he pulled Annie closer to him once more. He wrapped his arms around her now, and she instantly held him just the same way. They were contented being in this silent embrace for a while. After all, it was not very often this fun-loving couple shared moments like these thus it was even more significant for the both of them than most couples. There was definitely a contrast with the situation back in the yacht's lounge - the serenity right there was very much appreciated by the sweethearts.

"For the first time in my life, Annie, things actually feel pretty good," Liam said quietly, as he reflected on the mishaps in the past. "My life was crap, I was in all kinds of trouble but everything's getting better. And it's thanks to you."

"No, it was all you," Annie said, her voice firm yet gentle, as she looked straight into his intoxicating blue eyes. She momentarily forgot that his eyes could set her heart on overdrive thus the girl had to fight to remain serious. "You wanted to turn your life around, and you did it because you could."

Liam held a small smile on his face. He tucked the strands of hair that was violently brushing against his girlfriend's face behind her ears, and shook his head.

"I couldn't have done it without you, beautiful," he justified.

Even with the roaring sea breeze, Annie heard that loud and clear. Before she could offer anymore rebuttals, Liam pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss. If Annie did not understand how much she meant to Liam, then he would show her. On Annie's part, well, she needed no other cue to stop talking. This guy right in front of her takes her breath away almost literally and there was no complaining about that. Her hands slowly slid up from his waist to his neck to pull Liam closer.

Each time they kissed, Annie forgot that she would go dizzy. Her mind failed to comprehend anything else and her senses tingled as his touch became a million times more delicate on her skin.

The boat swayed, causing the two to lose their balance, and subsequently falling onto the deck seats. The kiss broke short, much to the dismay of the couple. Who knew how long they could continue on with their lips locked. Liam adjusted himself, so that Annie could settle on his lap comfortably. His left hand lingered casually on her thigh while he wrapped his other arm around her waist. A wide smile emerged on Annie's face as her fingers playfully traced Liam's muscular arm.

"When we finally go to college and get an apartment, we can play house," she teased. "Each and everyday, if you want to."

"Mm, suddenly college sounds so much fun," he whispered in her ear, smirking upon hearing his girlfriend's remark. "I need a good education."

It was cute how Annie was suddenly being audacious, quite unlike the typical polite front she normally wore. Liam left lingering kisses along her jaw, sending shudders down her spine. His lips moved slowly down her neck and along her collarbone. Every atom in Liam's body ached for her. He wanted to love her right there and then - who cares what Navid or Teddy or even Dixon would say if they happened to witness their act? All that Liam's mind could process at the moment was that Annie was driving him crazy.

Annie could sense his hunger. Her desire for him was building up just as strongly, if not stronger. However, she knew better than having sex right at the deck where their friends could easily walk in on them. Not that any of them were new to all this, but still.

"Word has it that you're a top student already. Maybe you should show me what you're good at, Liam," Annie said with a sheepish grin as she stood up.

Now, Liam is not one to resist temptations. He almost literally jumped at the opportunity Annie gave him. Oh, she was so goddamn perfect at reading him. As they slowly made their way to one of the few staterooms in the yacht, Liam couldn't help but think - with rather incoherent thoughts - that yes, he loved this, he loved it very much indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

If Liam and Annie thought they could spend their time in the stateroom without their friends' knowledge, they were awfully wrong. The two were woken up by Navid's knocking - or more like banging - on their door.

"Come on, man," he lamented. "We've only been out here for a few hours and you guys are already locked up in your room?"

Liam and Annie chuckled at their friend's whining. Annie sluggishly slid her hands up her boyfriend's bare chest and moved closer to Liam as she woke up from her slumber. They had both fallen asleep a little more than an hour ago and their friends had realized by now that the company was missing a few people.

"We're gonna capsize the yacht," Liam yelled back with a laugh, before turning to Annie once again. He wrapped his arms around the petite figure and mumbled, "Let's just forget about them."

As tempting as that sounded, Annie knew better than to give in to all of Liam's wishes or they would never see anything more than the four walls of their room for the next three days. She wriggled out of his embrace and reached out to grab her dress from the floor.

"Get up, big boy," Annie urged him, though a little hesitant herself.

"No, it's a vacation. I'm sleeping in."

"Fine, but you do that alone. I'm gonna head out now," she replied, leaning in to give him a peck on the side of his mouth as he groaned at her answer.

Annie got out of bed and started slipping on her clothes. She knew Liam was watching her every move. That boy could pretend to be sleeping all he liked but she knew better. Annie found his grey t-shirt right by her foot and tossed it onto his face before she headed out the door. That seemed to stir Liam. He laughed - oops, apparently she caught him.

Annie walked out of her stateroom only to see 7 pairs of eyes staring back at her. If she was not embarrassed by her act earlier, she sure felt it now. Her cheeks instantly reddened before offering a weak reply, "What? It's a vacation. I was sleeping in."

"Well, the boat crew has cooked up a storm for us. You must be starving," Naomi said with a smirk across her face.

"Indeed I am," Liam answered instead in a booming voice, stretching his arms up as he appeared behind Annie.

Without much hesitation, the group of friends moved to the dining area where indeed, a feast awaited them. Drinks were poured as they seated themselves around the table.

"To graduation," Naomi said, holding her glass up.

"To new schools."

"To new drama."

"To New York, bitches!" Annie toasted gleefully, glancing towards Liam.

Liam offered a polite smile. In all honesty, he was not sure of New York anymore. He was not sure of what he was going to do in time to come. At first, it seemed like a good idea to apply to a college in New York because all he could think of was Annie, and that he wanted to be with her. But suddenly it seemed like a rash decision. Sure, everyone feared their high school sweethearts would end up at opposite ends of the country, but for Liam to actually apply to a college seemed a little bold. What if he wanted to do something for himself in the future? Just leave Annie hanging by a thread in New York while he went soul-searching? Liam needed time to think, and luckily for him, his best thinking was usually achieved while on a boat.

"I just don't know, man," Liam lamented, as he shared his worries with Dixon, Navid and Teddy while they lazed around in the lounge. "I mean, I thought I had things figured out but I'm not sure anymore."

"I won't let you just leave Annie like that," Dixon argued, being the ever thoughtful brother that he was. "You've got to decided quickly. It's all or nothing, New York or not at all."

Although Liam did not enjoy hearing what Dixon had to say, he did have to admit that his friend had a point. Annie hated all kinds of bad surprises. Liam knew she had formed a mental image of their lives together in New York, and to reveal to her all his doubts only now.. Well, Liam did not want to chase Annie away.

"What is your Plan B?" Teddy asked. "I get where you're going, man. You have to think about what _you_ want to do too."

"Isn't this exciting?" Annie giggled as she spoke to Silver and Naomi while they soaked in the yacht's jacuzzi. "Have crazy vacations now then in a few months we're all set to go to college."

"I'm so glad Max decided not to go to MIT. I just can't do long distance. Where's the wild, crazy fun in that?" Naomi remarked, as she flicked her blonde mane.

"I know you're just excited about living with Liam," Silver accused her friend, with a sly grin across her face. "You're not thrilled about college, per se."

The Wilson daughter giggled. Her mother was not all too thrilled about Annie's idea to get an apartment with Liam, but she was convinced that her daughter would behave herself. Whatever that meant. Annie could picture it all perfectly. With her new fortune, she could well afford more than just a decent apartment. Despite being in different colleges, the idea that Liam would be waiting for her in her new home nonetheless was just thrilling. They could remake the whole Speidi thing - but way classier, of course. Hm, but well, come to think of it, it was starting to sound like a The Hills spinoff but Annie immediately pushed that thought out of her head.

"And then, when I get married to him in a couple of years, you guys will be my bridesmaids," Annie added, with giddy laughter. All these talk about the future with lovers, they were all filled with bliss and romantic scenarios. But who could blame these girls? They were young, they were in love. But most of all, they were clueless. Unfortunately.


	3. Chapter 3

**I would really like to know what you guys think so far, so please drop me some reviews! (:**

The past three days on the yacht had simply been fun. Vacation with only friends; that was something Annie could not do if she was still back in Kansas. Her parents would have been strict about watching over the whole thing. Well, assuming they would still be married, of course. The group of friends spent their time swimming, soaking in the sun and simply enjoying their time together. In all honesty, Annie was starting to get sick of the water already by the time they got home. Thus, she was a little surprised when Liam told her that he was going surfing the next day with Dixon and Teddy. Weren't they soaked up like prunes already?

The guys walked out of the water, surfboards in hand, and sat down by the beach. It was a good time for some guy talk, since the girls usually don't drop by when the guys go surfing anymore. Well, except for Ivy, but she was still on her honeymoon with Raj.

"So have you thought about your new plans yet?" Teddy asked Liam, opening up the much dreaded conversation.

Liam sighed. It took him a while to give Teddy a proper response.

"I guess I'm going to Drexel," he replied, hesitantly. "Maybe I could do something worthwhile."

Dixon certainly did not miss the uncertainty in Liam's voice. He understood that Liam was conflicted - and to be honest, he had never seen his friend so uptight before - but it did not mean that he liked knowing Liam was unsure about his options. Dixon wanted Liam to choose what he really wanted to do for himself but at the same time, he did not want his sister to be hurt. Annie had spent the last few months going on and on about how she could not wait to graduate from high school and go to college. There was no easy way out of this.

"Well, you have some time to decide properly. Summer has just started," Dixon assured his friend.

That seemed to convince Liam slightly. Yeah, he had some time to consider. Drexel or not. There were so many options he had to weigh, each one as tempting as the other. But he liked knowing that there was a bit of time to think through all his concerns.

Liam picked up his surfboard and headed back to the water without another word.

"Hey Liam," Annie greeted her boyfriend, a huge smile plastered across her face. "Something wrong with your car?"

Liam's head popped out from under the red car, a surprised look on his face.

"I didn't know you were coming," Liam commented, as he got up and rubbed his hands against his greasy grey t-shirt. He leaned forward and gave his girlfriend a peck on the lips.

"No, nothing's wrong with it. Just that my baby here needs some maintenance work once in a while," he answered, a sheepish grin appeared on his face as the patted the bonnet of the car.

"Well, your _girlfriend_ wants to show you something," she remarked, the excitement in her eyes evident.

Annie and Liam walked towards the latter's front door of the house. She opened the door without Liam telling her to - this house was like Annie's second home. Annie went straight to the living room and settled herself on the couch comfortably. She took her laptop out from her bag and switched it on. The girl realised that she was sitting on a t-shirt. Annie placed her laptop on the table and shifted herself to grab the shirt from under her. Liam had probably tossed it onto the couch to change into it after he was done checking his car or something, Annie figured.

Liam made his way to the kitchen to wash his hands. He stripped off the greasy shirt he had on and looked around, recalling where he had placed one of his clean ones. Liam walked back to the living room and tossed the greasy shirt to a corner.

"Is my white t-shirt somewhere there?" he asked Annie, as he sat down beside her.

She held the t-shirt out to him. Just before he could take it from her hands though, Annie retreated her hand back. Instead, she slid her other hand onto the back of Liam's neck and put her lips to his. She forgot momentarily, the reason why she was at his house. And what was she going to say to him about his shirt? Annie did not know how, but whenever their lips came into contact, every other cell in her body could not seem to function.

With much hesitation, Annie pulled away and mumbled, "You have to be more organised than this when we start living together, Liam. It's just two weeks away."

She turned her attention back to her laptop on the table quick enough to miss the almost false smile on Liam's face. Annie did not see the uncertain look he was wearing at the moment.

"So I wanted to show you this apartment I found on the Internet," Annie chirped, her eyes fixed on the screen, which showed pictures of, indeed, an apartment. "I didn't think we'd be able to get something like this at first, but seeing that I inherited a _fortune_, anything's possible."

Liam slipped on his white t-shirt on, his attention hardly on Annie's laptop as she scrolled through the website. He didn't know how to tell her. Liam did not know how to tell Annie how he felt about Pennsylvania. All his doubts, his concerns. How was he going to bring it up?

"Listen, Annie," Liam began, his voice low and hesitant. "I'm not so sure about Drexel anymore."

Annie stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, what?"

"I don't want to go to college, Annie. I've thought about it and I don't want to spend the next few years doing something I'm not interested in. Plus, Drexel isn't exactly near to Carnegie Mellon. It's like a 5 hour drive."

"So you'd rather not go with me at all than drive 5 hours?"

Annie could not process Liam's words properly. They were supposed to fly to Pennsylvania in less than two weeks and he was talking about not going to Drexel? What about their plans to live together? Annie could not think straight. There were so many thoughts screaming in her head and she could not find any words at all, let alone the right ones.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just not-" Liam tried to justify himself, but failing to find his voice.

"We are supposed to leave in 2 weeks. When were you planning to tell me this, if I hadn't come here?"

"I didn't want to tell you anything till I was sure of my plans."

"_Your_ plans? What about our plans the last couple of months?" Annie's voice began quivering. Tears started to well up and there was a huge lump in her throat.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, okay? I didn't want to stress you out with my doubts."

Liam was aware that his girlfriend was weeping. But his body was paralysed with guilt. He did not know what to do or say to Annie. Liam knew there was nothing he could do to make her feel better.

"I backed out of Drexel last week. I told them I changed my mind. I got a job," Liam added quietly.

Each statement felt like a knife through Annie's chest. Everything that Liam had been saying felt like a punch to her guts. She felt betrayed. All her trust in Liam just shattered to pieces. Without another word and with tears rolling down her cheeks, Annie closed her laptop shut and stood up to leave. There was only so much she could listen to.

Liam caught her left wrist. "Wait, Annie," he called. But that was just it. There was nothing else he could say. There was just nothing else he could do to defend himself or make the situation any better.

"Let go of me," Annie chided, freeing her wrist from his grasp. "Screw you, Liam."


	4. Chapter 4

Liam and Annie barely spoke to each other the following days. Even Dixon was rather unhappy with Liam and had been acting a little hostile towards his friend. Dixon didn't mean to; he just did not like the way his friend had dropped the bomb on his sister. Liam tried to stop by the Wilsons' home a few times with the terrible excuse that he wanted to hang out with Dixon, but he had a feeling that he was not very welcome there anymore. Annie often shut her bedroom door and would make minimal moves around the house till she was positive Liam had left. And even if they happened to bump into each other, she would mutter no more than a few lines.

"So, where are you going to live?" Liam asked Annie quietly one day, as he happened to find her in the kitchen.

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Annie mumbled with annoyance, "I'll be living with a roommate I've never met before in a dorm _5 minutes_ away from campus."

And that was usually how long their conservations lasted these days. Annie walked out of the kitchen, effectively putting a stop to their talk and leaving both of them flustered.

There was one occasion when Liam tried to explain to Annie what he was going to do now that he was not going to Drexel. He recalled that he had not told anyone about it yet, and even if Annie did not ask, Liam would still let her know anyway. He noticed that Annie's bedroom door was open, and she was inside packing away her clothes. With hands in his pockets, Liam leaned against the threshold and carefully picked out the words he wanted to say.

"I've yet to tell you about my job," he began, hoping to sound at least a tad excited. Annie did not look up or show any signs of interest. Still, he continued, with pauses in between each statement, "I'm going on a boat sometime next month. Deep sea fishing. You know how I love the water."

It appeared as though Annie's hands were moving at a faster pace now. So surely she had heard what he just said. Well, she was getting angry. Furious, in fact. For months they had been talking about going off to college together, and here Liam was at her door, saying he was going fishing. Great.

"Could you at least say something?" Liam raised his voice. He was tired of Annie's hostility. He knew that she was listening; but her reaction, or lack of one, was extremely annoying.

Annie looked up when Liam chided her.

"You want to know what I think? I don't really care what you anymore," she snapped back at him. "Clearly I'm not part of your equation. Maybe you'll find a mermaid out at sea whom you'll care about."

The sarcasm stung Liam hard. He knew that Annie would not understand what his new job meant to him, but for her to mock him like that infuriated him. She had gone past his limits.

"That's it. I'm done with you," Liam muttered as he walked away, rolling his eyes at Annie's insensitivity.

There was a lot of things that he could confront Annie about, especially about what she had just said to him. But clearly she did not want to hear them and Liam was not going to bother acting like he wasn't tired of playing her game.

She realised a little too late then how hurtful her own comment had been. Annie had just insulted her boyfriend and he walked out on her. She felt so appalled by her own behaviour. Annie closed her bedroom door and crawled under her bedsheets. She had never felt so ashamed of herself before. The tears came pouring down - guilt, hurt, regret, everything engulfed her that night. All her nagging thoughts started attacking her as her walls came crashing down.

Annie was leaving in 2 days and they just had their biggest fight yet.

Liam felt restless the entire morning. He could not sit around at home all day, knowing that Annie was going to LAX airport that very afternoon to fly off to Pennsylvania. Everyone else was going to send her off - Silver, Naomi, Navid, and Dixon, of course. If he missed this chance at saying goodbye to her, who knew when would be the next time he got to see her. Perhaps she would be back during her winter break, but Liam's new job was uncertain. The lad had a lot running through his mind. All the what if's juggling back and forth. What if he chooses to stay at home and not bid her farewell? Would she hate him forever? But then again, what if he goes there and Annie would still be hostile towards him? What good would that do?

Liam did not want to admit it now. But he loved Annie, and he knew that she was too important to let go. He did not want to take the risk. Liam would go to the airport and see his girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend. Without wasting anymore time, Liam walked out the front door and drove to the airport, adrenaline running through his veins.

When Liam arrived at LAX, he was more than relieved to find Annie still there. Annie, her parents and their friends. He was not too late. Liam walked towards his friends quietly. Even without saying anything, the rest of them felt happy that he finally decided to show. Annie, however, could not say the same. Despite all the guilt she felt for her insensitive remark two days ago, Annie was still unsure if she could forgive Liam for leaving her hanging by a thread. She was not quite the person to bear grudges, but this was way too personal to let go.

"I've got to go now, guys," Annie muttered, after a moment of silence passed between all of them unknowingly.

Silver was the first one to rush up to Annie and give her friend a hug. Naomi came up to her immediately after that. Liam could tell that Annie was fighting back her tears. Who wouldn't be emotional? It was a new milestone for this group of friends. They had spent their years together in West Bev, some of them more than the others. But now everyone was going their own way.

"I'm always a call away, Annie," Dixon said as he hugged his sister tightly. The Wilsons said their goodbyes to each other. Even Mr Wilson was there at the airport to wish his daughter the best of luck.

And then there was Liam. Annie had gone round the entire group to hug them. Maybe she had planned to bid her farewell to Liam after everyone else. The best for last, perhaps. Liam approached Annie, reaching his hands out to her elbows to pull her closer. He didn't want to say it aloud, but the lad thought that this was enough as an apology for breaking her heart. Liam really was sorry for that. However, instead of wrapping her arms around him like he had expected, Annie gently pushed him away. No, Liam cannot toy with her feelings and expect her to run back to him.

"Annie."

It was almost a plea. Everyone could hear the anguish in Liam's voice. They had never seen him in such a state before. The once resident badass Liam Court was actually vulnerable. What effect did Annie Wilson have on him?

Annie turned to the group. The awkward silence between them was only making her feel a hundred times worse. She looked at everyone, as though trying to capture their faces in her memory. Everyone, but Liam.

"Goodbye, guys."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I really enjoyed reading them! :) I felt a little scared initially to start on this chapter because of the expectations you may have, but it's worth a shot. **

None of the guys from the group dared to speak after Annie left. They feared that whatever comment they made would aggravate Liam even more. And everyone knew an angry Liam was a terrifying Liam. Dixon, however, decided to break the silence.

"Hey, Liam," he began quietly, almost cautious of his speech. There was probably a lot that Dixon could say at that moment, but he decided to drop the matter. "We're gonna have lunch together. Wanna come along?"

It took Liam a little while to respond. His gaze shifted from the gates Annie walked through to his friend right next to him.

"No, you guys go ahead without me."

Liam headed back to his car alone. Rage was flowing through his veins. Sure, he made his mistakes but why was Annie so damn stubborn? Why was she acting like he was completely worthless to her? She had made her own mistakes but Liam had never acted the way she did. Liam stepped into his red car. He paused for momentarily to gather his thoughts, calm himself down or whatever the hell the lad could do. Liam squirmed in his seat as he took his phone out from his jeans pocket. If Annie refused to listen to what he had to say earlier, then he would text her. At least she would read it, even if she was not going to reply anything at all. Annie had to know what was on Liam's mind.

'My time was wasted on you.'

Liam literally tossed his phone to the passenger seat right after he sent that text. The car engine whirred to life. Liam drove out of his parking space and sped out of the airport premises, the tires of his car screeching as though mimicking the vehement voices in his head.

The plane to Pennsylvania could have crashed and burnt, and Annie would have still said the fire burning in her chest was a hundred times worse. Her entire flight was almost unbearable. She did not want to cause any alarm to the guy sitting beside her by breaking down, but there were several occasions when Annie had to turn to the window and wipe her tears away. She had read Liam's text before she boarded the plane. It was just one sentence, but it was so painful to read.

"Are you okay there?" the passenger on Annie's right asked.

If Annie felt embarrassed earlier, now she was almost horrified. So he did notice that she had been crying.

"I will be," she replied after a while, rather truthfully. Perhaps the demons in her head were playing with her now, but Annie was convinced that distance could make her get over Liam. Eventually.

"First time traveling long distance?" the guy assumed. "Well, you know what they say. The grass is greener on the other side."

"But the water bill's higher," Annie added, a small smile forming on her face.

"I doubt Pennsylvania's any Beverly Hills."

She had no idea who this stranger was, but for the first time in a few hours, he made Annie smile. And that was all the girl needed to feel better, at least for the rest of the journey to Pittsburgh.

As the plane taxied, Annie felt a new wave of determination wash over her. She was about to start perhaps one of the most major chapters of her life. First there was the Annie from Kansas and she had to leave everything and everyone behind when the Wilsons moved to Beverly Hills. The same thing was happening now as she began her next chapter in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon, in particular.

It all seemed to be such a blur. One minute it seemed like Annie had just stepped out of the plane, and the next she was already in her dorm room, unpacking her things. Annie's roommate had already moved in the day before, and it was comforting for the both of them to have company, especially since neither had been to Pittsburgh before.

"Hey, I'm Nora. Well, Eleonora, but don't call me that," Annie's roommate introduced herself.

"I'm Annie."

Annie liked Nora; the girl reminded her a little bit of both Naomi and Silver. She could tell that Nora was from a well-to-do family, but her wealth was not something Nora flaunted. Nora was spunky and Annie liked that a lot.

It did not take too long for Annie and Nora to get to know each other quite well. The past few weeks were spent adjusting to college life and the neighbourhoods around Carnegie Mellon better. It helped Annie to slowly forget about her Beverly Hills life. Of course she did not want to forget about it entirely; just anything that had to do with Liam. Unfortunately, that was the most difficult to let go. This should not surprise Annie, but everyday she still questioned herself why it was so difficult for her to get over him.

Annie's phone rang one morning, startling both herself and Nora. She was just about to answer the call when she realised that Liam's name was flashing on the screen. Annie panicked. It had been approximately two weeks since Annie left Beverly Hills for Pittsburgh and Liam was finally calling her. Instead of answering the call though, Annie pushed her phone aside. It was ringing furiously, muddling Annie's thoughts - even Nora realised that.

"Aren't you going to -" Annie's roommate asked her.

"No," she answered quickly. "I don't know who that is."

Obviously Nora didn't believe a word her new friend just said. But she was sensible enough to drop the matter. Annie's phones stopped ringing eventually, much to their relief. Perhaps Liam was going to give up after this, Annie thought. But give _what_ up, exactly? Give up calling her? Or give up fighting?

Annie's phone vibrated once more, shocking her slightly once more. It was not a phone call though; it was a text message, from Liam. And it did not answer any of Annie's questions. It just confused her even more.

'Don't know why I'm telling you this but I'm leaving tonight. Gonna be out at sea, but I guess you don't care.'

Annie's heart sank. She felt so stupid. Of course she cared about Liam. But why was it so difficult to tell him that? What was stopping Annie from telling Liam exactly how she felt about him? But then again, what good would that do? Liam was not going to quit a job he hasn't even started. Liam was not going to hop on a plane and fly to Pennsylvania even if Annie begged. She knew _she_ wouldn't quit school to join him on some deep sea fishing boat. So what good would telling him her feelings do? Annie tossed her phone in her bag without replying to Liam's text, and got ready to leave her dorm room for class. Her new mission in Pittsburgh was to forget about Liam Court and Annie was going to keep her word.

Nora knew something was up and she had a feeling a guy was involved. Annie probably needed a distraction. As they approached the campus building, Nora excitedly went, "Hey, I saw this guy the other day, kinda cute. He lives in the building right next to ours. Oh my god, there he is."

Annie was not quite in the mood to entertain Nora's boy talk. She looked up anyway as they approached the huge front doors of the building. Annie did spot the guy Nora was talking about and a huge grin immediately appeared across her face as he seemed to gaze right back at her.

"I didn't know the grass at Carnegie Mellon would be _this_ green," he said to Annie.


	6. Chapter 6

Annie was rather relieved to learn that the same guy - Jason, as he finally introduced himself - who had comforted her during her flight from LAX was a student at Carnegie Mellon. It almost felt relieving to have him around, seeing how Jason had been very nice to Annie since the very first time they met.

Anyone of her old friends could easily accuse Annie of trying to replace Liam, but the girl would insist that she really had fallen for Jason. In less than a month after moving in to Pittsburgh, Annie had already found herself a new boyfriend. Whether or not it was true she was doing it to forget about Liam, the answer was not hard to figure out. Nevertheless, if Jason kept Annie's mind off her ex-boyfriend, then she was contented enough.

"Hey, are you going back home next month?" Jason asked Annie one day, as they were having lunch.

"Of course," Annie replied, as she nodded her head. "I promised my mother I'd be home in December."

Annie was rather thrilled at the prospect of going back home to see her family and friends. Naomi had texted her just a while ago that she was going to host a New Year's party at the country club. Naturally, everyone was invited to what was promised as the most exciting party to start the year. Naomi's parties never disappoint. Annie asked Jason if he would agree to come along. One thing about Jason, he was not one to miss parties. The boy was no party animal, but he liked having fun, thus naturally, he did not hesitate to say yes.

However, Annie could not help listening to the nagging thoughts at the back of her head. Would Liam be there? And if he's coming, what would he say if he saw Annie with Jason? These thoughts played in her mind nearly throughout the entire month, right up to New Year's Eve. Annie decided to drop the matter as much as she could. If she wanted to have fun with Jason, then she would forget about her worries. It was only fair to herself.

It was thrilling to see everyone at the party. Annie squealed upon seeing Naomi, Silver and even Adrianna. They exchanged hugs and tried to soak in the familiarity of seeing everyone's faces. She was excited to see Teddy and Navid too - but there was no sight of Liam. Annie would ask Naomi if he was here in Beverly Hills, but everyone else was introducing themselves to Jason. So it really did not feel right. Not that it would be any better any other time either.

The party was great, no doubt. Annie and her group of friends spent their time together dancing, catching up with each other and generally having fun. Naomi seemed to be getting drunk and Teddy was tipsy, but apart from them, everyone was enjoying themselves like old times. Annie did notice that Jason had a few drinks as well; he was not drunk, just maybe a tiny bit sloshed.

"Let's take a walk," he whispered in Annie's ear. "We can come back later."

In all honesty, a part of the girl did not want to leave her friends. But there was also another part of her that wanted to listen to Jason. It took Annie a while to decide though, but she finally stood up and went, "I'm gonna show Jason around this place."

Annie's friends protested, of course, but nobody stopped her. It was unspoken, but everyone seemed to think that maybe Annie needed a new guy after a disappointing end with Liam.

They did not get too far. Annie and Jason walked towards the beach - and hell, the breeze was insane. Jason held Annie's hand and walked towards the cabanas, drawing his girlfriend away from the crowd.

"It's cold out here," he mumbled, before crushing his lips to Annie's, with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Annie giggled and she returned his kiss just as passionately. It was exciting, being with Jason. Annie was definitely not the kind to run away from a party just to make out with someone - she thought she had better class than that - but oh, what the hell. It was time she did things differently. Annie could feel Jason's hands slowly moving up from under her blouse. Annie had almost forgotten how dizzy she'd feel whenever someone touched her bare skin. Maybe it was the idea that she and Jason was finally going to do it. Or maybe it was how her senses came alive as those fingers travelled up her back.

The last time she felt this way was when Liam -

"Let's try and find an empty cabana," Annie quickly said, a little annoyed with herself. Even when she was nearly clinging on to Jason, her mind was notoriously wandered off to Liam. Annie has got to keep the agenda going. Her actions were quicker now, almost in a hurry, as she leaned herself against her boyfriend. Jason did not seem to detect anything suspicious with Annie - if anything, he was even more excited now, seeing that Annie was into it. The lad pulled away hesitantly, as he tried to open one of the cabana doors.

"Whoa, this one's taken," he chuckled, holding the door open wide enough for Annie to see the two people inside.

Shocked was not a word worthy enough to describe how Annie felt. She did not expect to see Liam's face staring back at her. But it was true - there he was, his shirt barely buttoned up with an even less clothed girl standing right next to him. Annie did not know who the girl was, but apparently the blonde knew Annie because she picked up her clothes and walked out of the cabana with a huge smirk on her face. Annie could not swallow any of this. She felt as though the ground beneath her fell apart, giving this huge sinking feeling.

Without another word or explanation and leaving Jason perplexed and furious, Annie jogged away from the cabana, choked up in tears. It was not supposed to hurt. She was supposed to get over Liam already - Annie even dated Jason, thinking it will help her get over her ex-boyfriend - but why was it so difficult to see him with that.. that bitch?

Annie's legs gave in, although she did not run very far at all from the stretch of cabanas. The girl hugged her legs and tried to fight back the angry tears from streaming down her face. Why was her heart so numb from the pain? Annie tried to erase the image of Liam and that blonde away from her mind. But the more she tried, the more vivid the image appeared. Annie's heart felt like it had been ripped to pieces.

"Annie?" a voice called out to her a few minutes later.

She recognised that voice too well.

"Go away, Liam," she warned him irately, not looking up to even glance at his face.

"I didn't know you were coming back," Liam muttered as he shamelessly sat right to her. He chuckled before adding, "That girl just now, she just jumped on me."

Annie's rage soared the minute she heard his words. Who was this guy she was talking to? Liam was showing hints of his old behaviour - the bad boy he once was. Annie has not seen him this way for a while now. For a long time, in fact.

Liam understood Annie's silence. Of course that was not the kind of explanation she wanted to hear.

"Look, I spent the last 2 months on a boat without knowing what was going on with us," he began, his voice rising as his annoyance started to build up. "And I come back here just a few days ago not knowing what to expect. I didn't know you'd be back."

Liam grabbed Annie's shoulders so that she would turn to look at him. He needed her to listen. In an instant though, he felt an energy he had not experienced in a while. Annie and Liam still had the same chemistry like there was no friction between them the past three months. He could feel it in his bones; the attraction for the girl right in front of him. Even with her smudged eye make up and quivering lips, Liam felt _right_ despite the scenario. Without anymore hesitation, Liam leaned forward and pressed his lips against Annie. He was hungry for her kiss; Liam could not deny that anymore. All those weeks wondering when he would get to see her again - well, Liam did not want to wait anymore. He slid his left arm to the back of Annie's neck subconsciously to pull her closer and deepened the kiss.

Liam was so consumed in that moment that he failed to realise that Annie was struggling out of his embrace. Yes, she did feel their energy. She did want to kiss him, so badly. But Annie was a sensible girl. Liam's lips tasted _so_ good and she was dying to tell him how much she wanted him, but this was all wrong. She was dating Jason and she was just about to that guy's clothes when they walked in on Liam with some other almost naked girl. Annie was aware that Liam was pulling her closer, but she did just the opposite. Annie wriggled out of his embrace and pushed him away.

Liam did pull away eventually, after he realised that Annie was wriggling. Damn, he knew this was a bad idea. Before he could say another word, however, Liam suddenly felt a blow to his head. The lad landed on his side, his head stinging with pain. Liam had no time to comprehend what was going on as the punches to his face and kicks to his body came repeatedly.

"Jason, stop!" Liam heard Annie cry out, before darkness engulfed him, leaving the former unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

**Terribly sorry for my extremely long absence. But I've got muse for some Lannie stories, since they're almost non-existent on the show. We want Lannie foreverrr. ):**

Annie was terrified. She was afraid of Jason and what he might do to her. For one, she realised that she did not know him as much as she thought she did. Annie had never seen Jason in such fury. Perhaps, to other girls, it would have been ... sweet, having their boyfriend beat the lights out of another guy who forced them a kiss. But Annie felt sick. Her stomach knotted at the sight of Jason's angry face and Liam curled up on the ground, not moving.

"That ought to teach this bastard," Jason spitted. He gazed up towards Annie now, his expression unchanged. "If he touches you again, I'll make sure he won't live to see another day." Before Annie could offer any protest, she found herself being dragged by the arm, headed back towards the country club perhaps.

"We can't just leave him here!" Annie cried out a moment later, when she realised the situation she was in. She was still conflicted though; what could Annie do? If she helped Liam out, who knew just how wrathful Jason could get. What if he tried to harm Annie next? But if she did listen to Jason, then what about Liam? It would be heartless of her to leave him on the beach, bleeding and unconscious. Annie wriggled her arm free from Jason's strong grip. She had to put up quite a struggle, but she managed it somehow.

"We can't leave him here!" Annie repeated herself, this time her voice louder and more indignant. Jason's face grew redder, but softened slightly after a second. He reached out towards Annie's phone he knew was in her jeans pocket. Annie did not know what was going on.

"Dixon, right? Your friend Liam's unconscious," Annie heard Jason say curtly. He turned his attention back to his girlfriend - who almost looked like such a terrible mess - and pulled her away from Liam once again.

Annie could feel her heart racing. It could almost fall out of her ribs, judging by how hard it was beating. The walk along the corridor leading up to Liam's hospital room felt like a walk of shame. She felt as though she should have prepared herself better; but whatever speech Annie had prepared for Liam would dissolve in her mind within seconds. She could not string two coherent thoughts together. All that she understood at the moment was that all this was her fault.

Hesitantly, Annie's hand reached out to the door handle upon reaching Liam's room. She took a deep breath - and it barely calmed her down - before quietly opening the door. Much to her relief, she saw that Liam was asleep. Annie closed the door behind her and paused. She recalled a similar scenario that happened last year - when Liam got beat up by two guys and Annie had taken care of him. And of course, that incident had quickly blossomed into a rather serious relationship.

She walked up to Liam quietly. Last year, the doctor had told Liam to watch himself. If he injured himself again, it would cause a lot more damage. Maybe even cost him his life. Was Liam going to be fine? With all of her heart, Annie hoped that there was nothing seriously wrong with him. Annie slowly held her left hand out, and lightly traced his bandaged forehead with her fingers. She felt empty, seeing him weak and hurt this way. Her fingers slowly slid down the side of Liam's face, her face slightly contorted as she touched the light bruises.

Liam suddenly stirred from his slumber, and Annie quickly retracted her arm. She took a step back, as Liam took a fraction of a second to recognise the girl standing by him. He winced as he struggled to sit up. For a long while, silence passed between them. Neither knew what to say.

"How are you?" Annie finally asked, breaking the deafening silence.

"I've definitely been better. I can probably go home in 2 days," he replied, touching his aching ribs, which were still numb from his movements a little more than a minute ago. "The doctor said I was quite lucky. Told me that this could've been really bad after the previous time, but I'm fine," he added, after a quiet moment passed between them again.

Annie had never been at a loss for words. She literally couldn't think of anything to say to him. All her guilt, sorrow, frustration, shame - how was she to express all these in words?

"How was your job?" she finally asked. Her voice was so small, Annie was unsure if Liam had heard her. Annie figured that she should start with some small talk, instead of diving straight into the situation Liam was in. He shook his head and replied, "Turns out I didn't quite like it after all. It's a lot tougher than I imagined. It was a miserable 2 months."

Liam fixed his eyes on Annie. He wanted to know, really badly, how she had been the last few months.

"Are you happy, Annie?" he asked, just as quietly as she had. "In Pittsburgh?"

"I cried when I reached Pittsburgh," she said finally, fighting back her tears. "I cried for so many nights. I needed you, but you hurt me so bad."

Liam sat up straighter upon hearing Annie's words. Guilt washed over him instantly and the only thing on his mind was the hurt expression Annie wore, thinking it was all his fault. Liam reached his hand out to her face, wiping off the tears with his thumb. "I'm so sorry, Annie. I was so stupid," he replied, his voice a little choked. Annie had never heard him that sincerely apologetic before, but her sentences were not finished yet.

Pulling herself away, Annie added, as though she had not heard Liam's apology, "But then Jason came along and he made me feel genuinely happy." Anyone would know that this was not an easy thing for Annie to say. She was hurt and confused, to say the least - but as always, she chose to do what she felt was right. It would be unfair to Jason if she said she loved Liam. No, that would not be the right thing to do. Jason was her boyfriend and Annie would not want to make unjust impulse decisions.

"I just came here today to apologise," she quietly said. "On Jason's behalf. He didn't mean to take it this far." Before anymore words could be exchanged between them, Annie headed for the door to leave. Leave Liam behind once again and head back to Pittsburgh the next day.

"Annie," Liam called out, just before she opened the door. "I will find you."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so glad to know that you guys are still reading this. But here's the last chapter of Piece Me Back Together, to end Liam & Annie's misery. I'm definitely going to write more Lannie stories though. Perhaps sooner than later. ;) Hope you'll enjoy this! (:**

"I promised I won't ask, but well, I'm asking," Annie's roommate, Nora, asked the minute she walked into their room that evening. "Ever since you came back here, I've never seen you more miserable. Did your dog die on New Year's?"

Annie forced a small chuckle, as she set her things aside and removed her jacket. "No, I don't have a dog," she replied, with a false irritable tone. Nora promised not to ask, didn't she? Why couldn't she just keep to her word? It had been a little more than a week since Annie left Beverly Hills and flew back to Pittsburgh. Yet she still didn't have the mood to talk about the whole Jason and Liam incident during Naomi's New Year party. The girl had pretty much been wallowing in self-pity since then.

"And don't, for a second, think I have no clue that Jason came back from LA way earlier than you," Nora added, spinning her chair to face her friend. "Did something happen back home? He didn't kiss you at midnight or something?"

Annie sighed, knowing Nora would not easily let the matter go, especially since Annie had been avoiding this discussion for day. "We didn't kiss, actually," she finally gave in. "But that was not his fault. In fact, we barely spoke that weekend. And that's all I'm telling you."

"No, you're not telling me the whole story. So why didn't you guys come back together?"

Annie sat down on her bed and hugged her legs to her chest. She couldn't even take a break. "We broke up, okay? He dumped me." In just a couple of minutes, Annie managed to tell the whole story to Nora, getting several loud expressions from her roommate. Annie talked about the kiss Liam forced on her, the one-sided fight the boys got into, and how she rejected Liam at the hospital for Jason's sake. But somehow, even all these events were more difficult to tell, in comparison to her breakup with Jason. To Annie's surprise, she was nearly not as hurt as before to talk about it.

"I told him that he scared me, because I've never seen him so ... angry," Annie continued on a little more animatedly. "But I mean, he didn't know who Liam was then, so I understood what he did. Still, he told me I shouldn't have defended Liam and he was all, 'Stay away from him'. He took it the wrong way, when I went to the hospital. I explained to Jason that I said no to Liam, but he didn't believe me."

"Maybe you should talk to Jason, when you know, he's not so mad," Nora suggested, after a short silence passed between them. Evidently, both girls were quietly trying to look at different angles of the story.

But Annie just shrugged at Nora's advice. Sure, Annie and Jason broke up based on a misunderstanding that could quite easily be straightened out. But their fight had made her realise that Jason was even more dramatic than she could possibly handle. And she wasn't into the idea of getting back together with him anymore if it meant going through unnecessary fights and all that jazz in time to come. But most of all, Annie knew her heart was back at home, regardless whether Liam knew that or not.

Annie was mostly upset now not because things ended with Jason. Not exactly. But because she had actually rejected Liam for Jason, yet things ended the wrong way. Now Annie was left with neither of them, the uncertainty whether Liam knew exactly how she felt about him or not, and enough heartaches to last a lifetime.

"Oh shoot, I almost forgot," Nora suddenly chirped, snapping Annie out of her empty stare. "The reason why I'm asking you all this is because a guy came looking for you a couple of minutes before you walked in here. Oh my god, I didn't catch his name before, but, but now I think it's Liam."

Annie sharply turned to Nora, a little dumbfounded by what she just said. "Who? What?"

"Yeah, he said he'd wait for you downstairs, at the parking lot. And hey, if you don't want Liam, I'll gladly take him. He's cute."

Even before Nora could complete her sentences, Annie had jumped up from bed, slipped on her coat and headed right out the door. "No, no, he is _my_ Liam Court and I'm not sharing!" she yelled out, giggling at the idea that the guy she had been waiting for was well, waiting for her too.

As Annie travelled down in the elevator though, her heart began to beat ridiculously fast. She felt euphoric, but extremely nervous too. What was he doing here, really? What if Liam wasn't here to have them back together? But could there be any other explanation? As Annie walked out of the building, she surprisingly noticed his all too familiar red car despite the dimly lit area that evening. How could she have missed it just a couple of minutes ago?

Annie slowly approached the car; the January wind blew harshly in her direction, yet it didn't stop her from battling the cold slowly. Annie's steps momentarily paused when she saw that, indeed, it was Liam who stepped out of the vehicle. She drew in a sharp breath - Annie was nothing short of being cautious of this meeting.

"You drove here from Beverly Hills?" Annie asked, holding no expression whatsoever.

"Yeah, I did. Took me longer than I thought, with the road blocks along the way," Liam replied her, with a rather guarded tone. He could not tell if his presence was welcomed.

Before Annie had a chance to say anything else though, Liam began again. "Listen, I made a huge mistake before and I don't want to do it again this time. I didn't know what I wanted back then. But I told you I'd come looking for you eventually."

Annie shook her head slowly, trying her best to mask the confused look she wore. "What makes you think I'd say yes now, when I just told you otherwise a week ago?"

"I don't know," Liam weakly replied, sounding almost defeated. "But I figured I'd try again. Thought I should convince you properly. Even if you're going to end up choosing Jason."

"Listen to yourself. I almost don't know you anymore. You drove across the country and -," Annie said rather skeptically, but eventually chose not to torture him anymore.

Little did he know that her heart was swelling; it could almost choke her to tears. To hear all this from Liam was simply wondrous - how he opened his heart so readily, yet so vulnerably. It had always been Annie who showed her weaknesses, and Liam would catch her each time she fell. But the roles were reversed today. It seemed as though she was learning something new about him every time they stood in front of each other.

Liam, on the other hand though, felt weaker each time she defended herself. What effect exactly did Annie have on him? Liam did not know, but clearly his speech wasn't going so well if Annie continued to reject him.

After a pause, Liam sighed and said with a newfound - but subdued - fury in his voice. "Maybe this is all a big mistake. We keep hurting each other and it's obviously not doing us any good."

Liam was about to slide back into his car, when Annie quickly reached out and firmly tugged his hand. She draped her hands across the back of his neck and pulled herself close to him. Even Liam couldn't process her actions in his mind swift enough. "Don't go. We've said way too many goodbyes," Annie finally pleaded, a small, sad smile plastered on her face. "I need you, Liam. I'm all yours."

Anyone could see Liam's tense body instantly relieved as Annie's words sunk into his head. All the knots in his veins untied themselves as Liam wrapped his arms around Annie's tiny waist in a tight embrace. He rested his forehead to hers, wearing a wide smile on his face. No one probably knew this, but Annie missed Liam's smile the most. That grin - bordering on a smirk - always felt like it could light up the world, in Annie's opinion. Perhaps the last time she did see that smile was before Liam confessed he didn't want to follow Annie to Pittsburgh, and that felt like eons back. Seeing that boyish, comforting grin on his face now, Annie instantly couldn't resist pressing her lips to his.

Their lips were hungry at the touch, yet gentle all the same. Annie had moved in close to Liam till there was virtually no distance between them. The wind, the cold - these distractions came secondary to the taste of each other's lips. "I've missed you," Annie whispered softly in his ear, her voice tinted with innocent delight. "Bring me my old Liam back. This sad, lovesick Liam is too much, even for me."

Liam chuckled at her request. That was not going to be a problem at all. He was starting to question his sanity himself. Liam tightened his hold around Annie and lifted her up slightly. Annie knew the tiny jerk was her cue, thus she quickly lifted her feet off the ground and wrapped her legs around Liam's waist. She squealed, despite knowing fully well that she was held by a pair of undoubtedly secure arms. With that, it brought along a new round of lip locking.

There were many more struggles that these two were bound to face, since life often goes that way. But at the moment, both Liam and Annie were convinced they had forever ahead of them. They were both young at only nineteen years of age, but these two found hope and strength in each other that could not be matched by anyone else.


End file.
